WHY?

Dear Pea,
We have arrived. This past week saw the beginning of the ever famous toddler WHY? phase. It's actually been kind of fun for me and Daddy to go all esoteric and I'm sure we'll be coming up with some more awesome answers, but here are our top 2 for now:
Daddy: Time to go to bed, it's night time
Pea: Why?
Daddy: Because the day is ending
Pea: Why?
repeat about 7 times and get to:
Daddy: because the earth rotates around the sun and spins on an access and...

Mama: Bye bye, I'm going to work now
Pea: Why?
Mama: Because I need to work
Pea: Why?
repeat about 7 times and get to:
Mama: Well, work is important for a number of reasons, it's important to have money so we can pay rent and buy clothes and food, but it's also fulfilling for me emotionally and...

Oh, yeah, this is going to be fun (and tiresome).

Adventurer!

Dear Pea, 

All of a sudden, you are quite the adventurer! Today at the playground you attempted to climb up a stacked chain link climbing challenge and YOU DID IT! I spotted you, but you did it all by yourself. It was a little bit crazy, it was a structure that was definitely designed for a much older kid. As I have just finished a big book about praise and functional communication, all I said to you was "You're at the top now!" with a huge grin, but inside I was jumping up and down screaming "you did it! I'm so proud of you!"

Here's a glimpse into some of your other athletic achievements of late:

UP the slide for the first time! I love that when you get to the top, you say "I did it!"

climbing up the cellar doors at our friend's house, then rolling the balls down the ramp

 

Your first climbing wall!  I can't wait to take you to a climbing gym. And then up a mountain!

You have also become quite the eater, devouring yogurt with berries or eggs and spinach (with ketchup, of course) for breakfast with me and usually 3/4 of a bagel with butter on the weekends with Daddy. Our favorite lunch is a bowl of salmon or chicken salad made with avocado instead of mayo and flavored up with relish that we share by dipping celery, bell peppers, cucumber and carrots into. This is the only way you will eat avocado for some reason, even guacamole appears to be on the outs lately! And sometimes you don't want to share the bell pepper with me, it appears to be your favorite.

"get your own bell pepper, Mama!" (and yes, that's a direct quote)

You love to share Chinese food dinners with Daddy, eating more than half of his shrimp, spare ribs and rice. You'll also happily put up with my cooking: baked chicken tenders, roasted drumsticks, turkey sausage. And steak, oh boy, do you love steak. 

You have also started showing an interest in artistic endeavors. We have 4 little bottles of non-toxic nail polish and one rainy day you gave us both pedicures. 

And you were very happy to join in on a watercolor mess making project with some of your buddies. We have an easel that's also a chalk board and you have zero interest in that, but apparently when the prospects are extremely messy, you're totally all in.

Inquiring minds want to know...

Dear Pea,
You are so inquisitive these days! Your catch phrase is some variation of "what that guy doing?": "What is that?" "What they doing?" "What that guy name?" "What I doing?" "What's mama's daughter doing?"

Oh, yeah, that's the other funny thing. You're big into familial relationships and will often refer to people in a relationship way instead of who they are. So I'm often "Eliza's mama" or "you baby's mama" and you are usually "mama's daughter" or "your baby." This extends to everyone we know and can get quite complicated as you go through siblings, cousins and friends. Your cousin will sometimes be Daddy's sister's baby, which blows my mind.

Another thing that blows my mind? You know your right and your left. Sweet Pea, I don't know my right from my left! Oh and your colors, too. That's pretty cute

You ask lots of questions and make lots of demands. You ask the same questions over and over and over again and make the same demands over and over and over again. I will often answer your question twice or three times, then turn it back on you ("what's that guy doing?" "He's sweeping the ground" "What's that guy doing, Mama?" "He's sweeping!" "Mama, what that guy doing?" "What's he doing, Eliza?" Pause, smile "He's sweeping up!" And so on.

You are also super into nicknames. You've decided that your nickname is "Elizie" and my nickname is equal parts "Mommy" and "Ayns."  Harper's is "Harpie" and Jeanmarie is "Jeams"

You also sing and dance a lot. You like to sing songs while you're playing by yourself, while you're walking down the street, while you're eating lunch, while you're face-timing with people. You know so many songs!
And then sometimes you make up songs and dance to them...

 The chocolate song. Are you my kid or what?

You have also finally taken an interest in some babies. You spent an hour playing with a 14 month old at the Y yesterday, passing the ball to him and crawling around. You have a brand new special friend, Ari, and he was the very first baby you held. You like to pet him and talk about how soft is head is. But your favorite babies are your "guys" (Baby Sienna pictrued here with real Baby Ari) and they still often travel with you. 

You've been sleeping in your own bed all night long, but will still sometimes come into our bed to snuggle around 6:30am and there are at least two babies who come with you, too. Yesterday there were four, that was a tough fit for your arms. But you refused to leave anyone behind.

Moods and termperment

Dear Pea,
Last week you were sick for over a week, with a phlegmy cough, runny nose and occasional vomiting. You slept a LOT during the day, often on my lap, and not so well at night. When you were awake, you were grouchy and contrary. It was a tough week for me, I had had it with your constant tantrums and soup mood, your insatiable appetite for milk and nothing else and the lack of sleep was not making anything easier. This week, you feel much better and the difference is astounding. I can't believe how much fun you are to be around. You are hilarious, signing mash-ups of your favorite songs ("We are the dinosaurs, what do you think of that? What do you think of that Black Sheep? Ba ba black sheep..") You are sleeping exclusively in your bed, sometimes with only one wake up a night/nap that lasts a minute or two. It's such a shift in your sleep and Daddy and I are so ready and happy that it's going this way.

You have fully embraced and embarked on imaginative play, having tea parties, cooking in your kitchen and wearing your baby doll. This morning you asked for cow's milk while we were having a tea party, so I got a carton of pretend milk and started to add it to the tea. You said "no, real milk!" Even though I know that you know we're playing pretend food and tea, it still sort of blew my mind to hear you articulate it like that.

You have hilarious phrasing. You use "actually" a lot now. "No, actually Daddy, I want to wear the blue shirt right now" "It's time for a bath. Actually, it's time for a story" etc. You just decided today that "Elizey" is your nickname. Someone asked you what your name is and you said "Elizey. Actually, that's my nickname" I did a double take, you smiled broadly and said "my name is Eliza but Elizey is my nickname"  Okay, then!  Maybe this stems from a friend Evelyn who we often call Evie...?

moxa-ing your legs in the midst of a bad cold

 Mickey and Minnie babywearing

 making binoculars out of a bracelet

 walking with your dolly in the yucky winter ice

 decorating a Valentine's cookie for Daddy

wearing my fancy shiny shoes. Walking in them better than me

Peaisms

On sudden movements/minor injuries assumed by your parents (this happens frequently):
"Hey! What just happened!?

On boy parts:
This morning you were playing with some toys, then started saying "pen-IS, pen-IS, pen-IS" You had been calling Daddy's penis a peanut for quite some time, so I assumed that it had happened again and that he had corrected you with an emphasis on the IS. "Did you see Daddy's penis today?" I asked. "Yes! It's on his vulva!"

On your age:
When someone asks how old you are, you say "I be two and I AM two!" and nod emphatically

Sweetness:
You have started, for the most part, asking for things in full on "Mama, can I have a cracker, please?" and when receiving said cracker: "Thanks, Mom!" If Daddy or I get a boo-boo, you want to kiss it all better.

Reading:
You have memorized a few of your books and now "read" along with me. You also offer commentary on the books. It's the first stages of reading comprehension and it totally blows me and Daddy away.

Story telling:
When I pick you up after a morning with your sitter, you will tell me what happened over the course of the day. Not chronologically and often not really in context, but I will get snippets of what happened. You will also tell the same bit of news over and over again as you process it. We can see the way your mind works. It's very fun and exciting.

On relationships:
You are very interested in how people are related. You will often refer to yourself as "my mama's daughter." Or you will jump around impishly, then ask me "what your daughter doing?" You know that Brandon is your cousin and that he's also your aunt's son and your uncle's son and your Daddy's sister's son. You will sometimes refer to Papa as "my Daddy's Daddy." And for your buddies who have new siblings now, you will tell everyone that "Marky was in Lauren's belly and Evie was in Lauren's belly, but not at the same time."

TWO

Dear Pea,
You are TWO! We spent your second birthday playing in the snow with friends, baking cupcakes and going out for a special dinner with Daddy.  We planned two birthday parties for the two days after your special day: one a yoga party for all of your fellow toddler buddies and another the next day for family and special friends. But you spent the day after your birthday throwing up, so parties were called off. You seem a bit better today, so we're hoping to reschedule the yoga party, which you're really excited about.

Despite missing your parties, you had a great day on your actual birthday:

Almost TWO

Dear Pea,
Clearly this is a VERY long overdue post. In the 6 weeks since I have last written, you have taken control of language, going from knowing many words and having some phrases to simply talking. You narrate scenes and activities, you report on past events and talk about future outings. You keep special people in your head and will talk about Seattle family weeks after seeing them.

You sing all the time. You can't carry a tune in a bucket, Sweet Pea, but you love to sign. Daddy and I often can't quite tell exactly what you're singing as your lyrics are sometimes a tad creative, but eventually we catch on.  The toughest one to date was "Ah-LLLLLL AWAY!" complete with a head bop. Hmm. That took almost a week until we realized you were signing it when a Sesame Street character was in sight, either a book or a stuffed animal. Aha! The Sesame Street Theme Song! "Sweeping the clouds away" is what you were getting at.

Another favorite song is "Let's Go Rangers!" which you will yell out whenever the mood strikes. You are also an avid Penn State fan, insisting on wearing your PSU t shirt whenever possible.

You insisted on changing your outfit into this once you saw the shirt on your drawer

You are also expanding your letter knowledge from only E to H (for Harper) and R (for Unlce Rossy). You particularity like the sign for R and try to make it often. Also of note is F for F train which we take most frequently, G for Gary (you love to call Daddy by his first name, especially if you want something from him). You are completely uninterested in M for Mama. Maybe I should try M for Muppets...

 you and Harper in the bath with all the letters. Apparently S and U are particularly delicious

We finished our first semester of Forest School last week and played in the snow! You happily wore your mittens because you were miserable with your hands cold. This is not typical for other kids your age, but you were crying from discomfort without them. And once we decided to sign "Where is Thumbkin?" every time we put them on, well, it's a no-brainer now. You love your mittens! Except that you call them mitts. (You also call buttons butts. Pretty awesome.)

You got to spend some special time with your boys after Thanksgiving, playing in the park by our house and going to the Museum of Natural History a week later. You loved the museum and can't wait to go back, but the draw wasn't the dinosaurs or the big whale or the taxidermy. Nope, the best part was the stairs by the planetarium. Best. stairs. ever. We'll have to go back soon!

 Dinos are alright, I guess. But nothing compared to snacks!

You're going to be two in a couple of weeks. My mom has been dead for over two years. Life is barreling by, full speed, full steam, no stops. We laugh a lot, Sweet Pea. We dance a lot. We eat a lot of chocolate. We snuggle a lot, we play, we read lots and lots and lots of books. We bake muffins every week. You are amazing. This is a good life.